


Femmedreams

by Rachby



Category: The L Word
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-17
Packaged: 2018-01-05 00:00:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1087176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachby/pseuds/Rachby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an L Word Fanfic about what would happen when all the girls get with people. But it's focused on Jenny/Marina. So there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

Femmedreams: An L Word Fanfiction

[Author's Note: I don't own Ilene Chaiken or any of her characters or ideas. Other than that, this is all me baby.]

[Forward- This takes place after Season 3. Shane & Carmen are broken up. Bette didn't kidnap Angelica. Helena is slowly running out of money... Jenny is sort of involved with Max. Oh. And Marina is back in town. ;)]

Part 1

Alice sipped her frappa-whatever-the-Hell and leaned over the table flipping through the glossy-paged fashion magazine laid in front of her. To her right, Shane, obvious apathy washing her face, sat with her chin in her hand and looked over Alice's shoulder.

"Like anyone would actually wear that," she murmured when Alice paused on a page.

Alice glanced up. "I like it. It's bubbly. Just because all of your worlds are all dull and gray doesn't mean I can't wear rainbow attire."

"Dull, gray and POOR," Helena chimed in, hunched in her chair, passionlessly stirring her beverage with a thin black straw. "Where we're cut off from our family's money supply, and are slowly dwindling down the remaining cut-off funds..While our suddenly gay mother runs off and leaves us so we can be homeless as well."

Jennifer Shecter laid her head down on her pale arms. "Thus spoke Helena Peabody. We're all miserable."

"Well," Alice replied. "I'm experiencing a new reason to be happy. I'm single, I'm free and Dana would have wanted me to move on."

Shane nodded. "Good for you Al, and I mean it."

"Aren't you with Max?" Alice asked Jenny.

Jenny let out a melodramatic sigh. "I don't think so. He's so moody. And now I'm questioning whether we were ever actually together."

"Romance fucking sucks," Shane sympathized. "Sorry Jen."

She shrugged. "I have new reasons to write tragedies now. How about you Alice, by the way? Didn't you have something going on with Lara?"

"Lara Perkins?" Bette interjected looking up from her previously uninterrupted stare at the table.

"You know, Jenny's right," Helena argreed. "You two have been awfully snug, haven't you?"

"Well," Alice laughed. "We were sleeping together. But not anymore. Neither of us...Well we were grieving. Lara's going back to France to finish her classes and I'm going to get back to my life."

"I wish I was that cheeky," Helena mused and took a sip of her tea.

Alice positioned her glasses as she looked at her new best friend. "You'll find someone."

"I seriously doubt it."

The door opened then and a slender blond strolled in, her hair collected into a chignon at the back of her neck, and a form fitting black silk dress stretched over her body.

"Okay, who is that?" Alice asked the group, obviously interested. Her intentions to show how well she was coping was making her over zealous.

Shane looked up, but interested plagued her trouble face. "She's new. I don't know her."

Bette followed their gazes. "I'm so over blonds."

Helena nodded. "Me too. Actually I'm over lesbians. Women, really. I'm going celibate."

Jenny scoffed. "Celibacy? Do you think that's wise? You'll end up killing yourself after a week of not fucking anyone."

"The Princess of Darkness has a point," Bette replied. "I really can't see you celibate."

Helena sighed. "Yes. I know."

The coffee shop door swung open once again and a second woman, tall, fit and proud sauntered up to the blond. Her hair was a collection of ebony curls and her skin tanned caramel. Helena watched her walk.

"Okay nevermind the blond. Who is she?"

The group turned their attention to the newest customer and Jenny gasped. "Oh my FUCKING God. I would know that ass anywhere."

Bette stood up. "Shit."

Alice hopped up from her chair. "Marina!"

The dark-haired woman turned around and her eyes lit up, bringing further beauty into her exquisitely divine face. "Alice! Hello!" Her eyes scanned the table as she approached. "Shane! Bette!" She stopped on one familiar face. "Hello Jenny."

The smaller woman, a mess of black locks and thick eyelashes stared with complete disbelief at her former lover. "Hello Marina."

"It's so wonderful to see all of you," Marina said hugging Alice, then Shane and finally Bette. "My deepest sympathies about Dana. She was a wonderful friend."

Bette nodded solemnly. "Yes."

"Where's Kit?"

"On a date."

"Ooh, a date? Who's the lucky man?"

"His name is Angus," Alice told her. "He's Bette and Tina's manny. Or was. When Bette and Tina were...Well, you know, Bette'n'Tina."

"I'm very sorry to hear about that as well."

Bette looked like she was about to say something, but she resisted the urge. Jenny continued to stare at Marina until flustered, she stood and escaped from the table and made her way to the restroom. No one noticed save for Marina who glanced after her quickly and then just as quickly turned back to the table.

"So how about you?" Bette pried, "You didn't tell me that you were coming back."

"Surprise!"

"I'm obviously missing something," Helena said then, "You all know each other but I'm positive that we've never met before."

"Marina used to own The Planet," Alice shrugged, "She dated Jenny. And then, uh, moved to Rome."

"Ah."

Marina extended her hand. "Marina Ferrer."

Helena touched it accordingly. "It's very nice to meet you."

Marina nodded. "I believe Bette's mentioned you a time or two."

Helena glances at Bette.

"You slept with Tina," Marina said.

The British woman sighed. "Can we ever get past that?"

The blond from earlier strolled up and put her arm around Marina's shoulder, straining slightly to do so as Marina stood several inches taller than her.

"And this is my friend from Italy."

"Verena Nerine," she said, her German accent thick but feminine. "Marina has told me many things about you all." She held a minty frappacino in one hand and sipped from it languidly. "You must be Bette, the worldly art expert. And you're Shane, the rockstar. And you're Alice." Verena smiled. "The spunky blond."

Marina motioned to her friend. "The other spunky blond."

Helena leaned over to Bette. "She dated Jenny?"

"She broke up their marriage."

Helena raised her eyebrows. "That's her?"

Bette nodded. "That's her."

"You know," Marina said then, worried, "Someone should check on Jenny. Is she alright?"

"Naturally she's kind of surprised to see you," Bette explained, "We all are. You still haven't told us what it is you are doing here."

"I'm a costume designer," Marina said. "After my husband died I opened a costume company with some of the money he left me."

"She was married when she dated Jenny?" Helena whispered to Alice.

"And dating another woman."

"Ah."

"Verena is a budding new actress come to star in a film in the state," Marina gushed. "A remake of Wide Sargasso Sea. She plays Antoinette. I'm doing her wardrobe."

"Wasn't Antoinette Italian?" Helena asked, leaning forward.

"My mother is half Italian but my father is German and I lived most of my life with him."

Helena shrugged. "Well welcome to America."

Verena smiled.

"I'm going to check on Jenny now," Marina said. She strolled off to the bathroom and opened the door, surprised to see the renovated sinks and bathroom stalls. Prior to her departure, the stalls had been dark blue and unisexual. The change was much more stylish. "Jenny," she called, her heels tapping on the tiled floor. "Are you in here?"

Jenny came out of the last stall and stood, her arms crossed over her chest. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"In this bathroom?" Marina replied, innocently.

"No not in this bathroom. In this building. In this town. In this fucking country."

"Well, you ran out too soon to hear my explanation."

"I'm listening now."

Marina licked her lips. "I'm a costume designer. I'm here with Verena Nerine. An actress."

"Your girlfriend?"

"No. I'm here with her as a friend and business partner. I'm here to reclaim my house and to spend time in Los Angeles with my Los Angeles friends."

Jenny blinked. "I'm dating a transexual."

Marina swallowed. "Okay."

"He's not here right now because he has a job. He's very successful. He's a computer consultant at one of the biggest technology companies in California."

"That's wonderful Jenny."

Jenny bit her lip. "Marina, you don't understand what seeing you after two fucking years is doing to me."

"I didn't think you came in here to actually use the restroom," Marina replied, evenly.

"No. I came in here to get a hold of myself. Shit. Couldn't you have at least given me some warning?"

"I need to warn you before I come within a mile of you?" Marina asked, leaning her head to one side, regarding the woman with interest.

"It would be nice."

"It's nice to see you Jenny."

"Well." She nodded. "Well don't you even think about playing your little mind games on me. I'm not into that anymore. I'm much more mature now and... And I'm not just going to do whatever the Hell you want me to because you're fucking sexy and you know it."

Marina gave the woman a composed look. "I came in here to check on you in a completely platonic way."

Jenny looked unconvinced. "Completely platonic? Dammit Marina. Did you have to come back to L.A.? Really?" She looked down and then, surprising even herself, she erupted into tears. Marina crossed the small room and put her hands on Jenny's shoulders and made an attempt to pull her against her chest, into a stabilizing hug. Jenny resisted and barreled out of the bathroom and out of the coffee shop, leaving Marina stunned, staring after her.

Meanwhile Helena witnessed the upset writer leave and turned to Bette. "I'm guessing that didn't go well."

Bette said, "I'm not interfering this time."

Helena looked to Shane who had fallen back into her catatonic state, and Alice who chatted with Verena. She stood. "Excuse me." She entered the bathroom and found Marina, momentarily frozen in place.

"Are you alright?"

Marina looked up, as if coming out of a trance. "I'm fine. I'm not sure about Jenny, however."

"Yes, she did look a bit upset."

Marina nodded.

"I'm sorry if I'm overstepped my boundaries here, but Bette told me that you and Jenny used to date?"

"Not date exactly."

"Well, you know. Using the term loosely."

"Mmm. Well, using the term loosely, we used to date."

"She's with Moira now," Helena said. "Oh, I mean Max."

"The transexual."

"Yes."

"I'm not trying to reclaim her."

"Oh. Oh... I didn't mean to say.."

"Jenny's life is not connected with mine anymore. But it's alright. I'm truthfully very happy to see her happy."

Helena cleared her throat. "Aren't you with the actress that came with you?"

"No."

"Oh."

"I believe Bette told me you were with a documentary writer."

Helena's heart jumped into her throat. Dylan was still a sensitive subject. She kept control of herself. "Not any longer."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I assure you, I'm fine."

Marina smiled politely. "Let's rejoin our friends, shall we?"

The two left the bathroom and took seats around the table. Bette and Shane, although both looked rather upset and blah, had joined in with Alice and Verena's discussion. The topic they discussed was coffee flavors. Shane kept asking what they were talking about with the flavoring and Bette told them that it really took away from the reality of the drink if anything was added. Verena was very obviously flirting with Alice and Alice was playing into it. Together they defended their coffee beverages.

Marina looked to Helena who had slid back into her chair. "I don't drink much coffee."

"Me either," Helena agreed. "I'm more of a tea person."

Marina picked up a pack of sugar and toyed with it between her fingers.

"I'm throwing a party tonight," Helena told her. "At my house, while I still own it at least. Everyone will be there. I'd love if you and Verena showed up."

Marina smiled. Instantly she thought of Jenny. Did everyone include Jenny? "Thank you," she responded. "I'd love to come." She leaned back in her chair and tried to get Jenny's panicked, upset look out of her mind.

XXXX


	2. Part 2

Femmedreams: An L Word Fanfiction

[Author's Note: This is Part 2. So, unless you've read Part 1 you're gonna get confused. But maybe you like being confused. In that case- Hedgehog super potato dumplings rival upside down panda popsicles! ..Enjoy. Freak.]

Part 2

Later that night at Helena Peabody's party, Bette and Shane sat outside on Helena's balconey drinking and talking.

"I think I'm going to call Carmen."

"Do you think it's been long enough?"

"I don't know? What's fucking long enough? I just can't live without her. Do you think she'll talk to me?"

Bette sipped her glass of burgandy wine, licking the flavor from her lips and looking out at the choppy waves. "I don't know Shane. Honestly I think what you did really hurt her and so there's a big chance she won't."

"Dammit, I just really need her to forgive me."

"That's really up to her."

Shane runs her hand through her hair and shakes her head, distraut. "How did you get Tina back? I mean after you..."

"Fucked another woman?"

"Yeah."

Bette frowns. "That's really not a good example considering she's fucking Henry whatever-the-Hell-his-name-is down the street."

"But that's not your fault, Bette. Don't blame yourself."

"How am I supposed to see her sudden sexuality change Shane? I can't fucking stop thinking it's my fault."

Shane scooted closer to her and put her arms around her waist and her head on her shoulder. Bette, in a sort of catatonia, sipped from her glass slowly.

Tina glanced at the window at the two huddled on the edge and changed her mind about going outside. She decided instead to talk to Alice, who was stationed on the leather futon, by herself, drinking a cosmopolitan.

"Where's Lara?"

"In France."

"Are you okay?"

Alice smiles. "Yes, I'm fine."

Verena, who'd only left to freshen her beverage returned and perched on the arm beside Alice. "Miss me?"

Alice emitted a chipper laugh. "Tina, this is Verena, Marina's friend from Italy."

Tina raised her eyebrow. "Italy, really?"

Tina remembered, vagually, Bette reading her one of Marina's emails where Marina mentioned a girl named Verena as her newest girlfriend. She watched her flirt with Alice and Alice, who was open and vulnerable from Dana's death, threw herself at her. "You do get around," Tina responded, and rose, changing her mind again. She thought that maybe she would mingle with Jenny or Marina, or Kit or Helena. But when she saw the four of them immersed in their own little social worlds, she sighed. She wasn't really a member of their group. She wasn't a real lesbian anymore. Getting her purse from the counter, she gave Marina a quick hug and told her she was glad to see her again. Then she made her leave, happy to at least get home to her daughter, who would always love her, regardless of her sexuality.

Actually, lately, she'd been questioning that again. Seeing Bette always did that to her. She worried that her choice to be with Henry was out of fear and not out of actual attraction. Deep inside her, she wondered if she'd gotten with Henry in an effort to provide Angelica with a real father. Unfortunately, Henry seemed less of a man than Bette. Thinking about her confusion made her sick.

Back inside, Marina was talking with some old friend. Nearby, Jenny, on her fourth Equious Veritas, leaned shakily against Helena's refrigerator and watched her.

Max, still sullen and hurt from Jenny's fling at Shane's would-be wedding walked up, sporting some manly carpenter jeans and a black button-up polo. He'd shaven off his scraggly, thin, mustache but a tuft beard was growing evenly from his chin.

"Hey Jenny. How many of those have you had?"

Jenny, seeing Marina now, radiant in a green dress and heels, couldn't remember any of the things that she found attractive about Max. She gulped another another swig of beer and tore her eyes away from the Tahitian and let them rest uneasily on her boyfriend, if that's what you'd call him.

"Does it matter? It's not you that's drinking them, is it?"

Max sighed. "Are you mad at me?"

"I'm just not very happy Max, so don't try me." She paused and looked away from him as a new person approached to join their group. "Marina."

"Hello Jenny," the gorgeous ebony-curled woman greeted her, smiling. "And you must be Jenny's boyfriend. Ah, Max, is it?"

Max was momentarily stunned by Marina's beauty, but it was hard not to be. "Uh, yeah."

Marina shook his hand. "It's very nice to meet you." She glanced at Jenny who looked simultaneously pissed and stunned. "Marina Ferrer," she added, providing him with her name.

"We used to sleep together," Jenny said, the alcohol making her bold and blatant. "She broke up my marriage."

Marina raised her eyebrows. "Everyone is responsible for their own actions, Jenny."

Jenny scoffs. "Oh FUCK ME Marina." She rolled her eyes, finished her beer and stomped out of the kitchen.

Max stared after her completely abhorred. "I'm so sorry. She's not usually like this. Well, actually. Yes she is. She's a bitch usually. I'm sorry."

Marina kept a straight face and firm jaw. "Don't apologize for her. It's not your fault, Max."

Max nods, and then shakes his head. "You know, it's not my problem anyways. Not anymore. We're broken up."

"You are?" Marina was surprised, maybe excited, if Marina could ever be described as excited.

"Yeah. She slept with a French girl at Shane's wedding."

"Oh."

"She's so...fucked up."

Marina looked after Jenny, who was wobbled outside to join Shane and Bette. She watched her messy attempt at sitting down. Then Helena walked past her line of sight and Marina, determined to get the plagued writer out of her mind, smiled at her.

"Not much of a party, I apologize," Helena said, coming up to join Marina and a now sour Max. "Everyone appears miserable. Well, perhaps, save for Alice and Verena." The three glanced over at the couple canoodling on the futon. "Ah, Max, glad you could make it."

"Yeah. Thanks. I should probably go."

"Oh, alright. Everything okay?"

Max watched Shane outside put her other arm around Jenny's shoulder. He frowned. "Yeah, fine." He went off, to leave, they supposed, and Helena gave Marina a questioning look.

"Max and Jenny are no longer a couple, I believe," Marina shared.

"Oh," The British woman looked to Jenny. "Ouch."

Outside, Jenny's world spun and not just from the alcohol. Really, she was just tipsy. She huddled against her roommate and focused on not barfing. "...And she thinks she can come back to L.A. and act like nothing every fucking happened."

"Jen," Shane said, "She's here on business, remember."

"And she's moving back here! You don't understand."

Shane shrugged. "Guess not."

Bette looked over at Jenny. "I'm staying out of it."

Helena, back in the kitchen offered Marina some wine but she refrained. "I should probably go. I've apparently caused trouble."

"Jenny's just not dealing with your arrival very well," Helena explained. "She doesn't really deal with anything well. Ever. Just give her time."

Marina rose an eyebrow. "Do you think time is going to make her forgive me?"

Helena couldn't answer that.

Marina smiled regardless. "You've been a wonderful hostess. Excuse me."

She walked by the futon and touched Verena's shoulder. "I'm going to go back to the hotel."

Verena looked up at her. "Is everything alright?"

Alice frowned. "What's wrong Marina?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm fine. Do you need me to come back and pick you up Verena?"

Alice shook her head. "I'll give her a ride."

On her way out Marina stopped in the driveway and looked down the hill at the evening surf washing the sand. She sighed.

Up on the back porch Jenny pushed off of Shane's shoulder and insisted on going for a walk.

Bette frowned. "Jenny, don't you think you've drank a little too much?"

"What's that have to do with me going for a walk?"

"It's a bad idea, Jen," Shane agreed. "You might fall in or something."

Waving her hand Jenny made her way to the stairs that led down to sea-level. "It's fucking great idea, Shane. Leave me alone." She wobbled the last couple of paces and leaned on the railing as she went down.

Shane stared after her, wondering if she should, really, have anything to worry about. "She's just kind of losing it," Shane mused aloud. "She's not saying what she means."

Bette replied, "She never says what she means. It's fucking Jenny. But do you trust her down there?"

Shane watched Jenny head down to the shore, her small, dark shadowed form moving slowly. "She's really taking this Marina thing hard."

Bette glanced over her shoulder. "By the way, where is she?"

Shane stood up. "No clue. I'm going to go talk to Jen for a few minutes. Take it easy, okay?"

Lopping after her, Shane made her way to her roommate, the cool evening sea breeze pressing on her cheeks. She stopped about ten feet away and slid her hands into her pockets.

Jenny sat down on her knees in the sand and clawed her hands into the grains, tossing handfuls of them at the water. Then she yelled out at the dark water, just a shout, feeling a small amount of stress go with the noise.

"Why Shane?" she said then. "Why the hell is she here?"

Shane approached her and knelt down and put her hand on Jenny's shoulder. "Jen, Marina's always been flighty. She does what she wants. She comes and goes and..."

"Fucks whoever she chooses?"

"Yeah."

"Shane, I love her. I love her. I'm fucking head-over-heels in love with her. She ruined my fucking life but I love her and my head feels like it's exploding."

Shane nodded, all knowingly. "Tell her."

Jenny shook head. "I can't. I'm just... I'm just going to have to deal with this feeling and not let it control me."

Shane pulled the other woman against her. "Sometimes love sucks, Jen, but you can't expect it to always be this bad."

Jenny blinked. "Why not?"

"Maybe she feels the same way?"

"It's been two years," Jenny responded, disheartened.

"And you're still completely head-over-heels, remember? Two years isn't very long."

They hugged for a moment and then Shane stood up. "You wanna go back inside?"

"I think I'm going to hang out here for a while."

"Okay," Shane turned away but then stopped. "Hey, you're not going to try and go swimming, are you?"

Jenny gave her a look. "I'm tortured. I'm not fucking psycho."

Shane laughed. "Okay, okay. If you change your mind, come and get me and we'll swim together. Okay?" She headed back up and sat back down with Bette, Alice, Verena and Helena who had came outside to mingle. Bette appeared to be happier, if only temporarily.

"Is she...?"

Shane shrugged. "She's okay. Has it gotten colder?"

Alice stood up. "I vote for more indoors."

Meanwhile, Marina Ferrer questioned her intentions. She tapped her long island fingers on her steering wheel and made a very important decision. She turned the car around and went back.

Jenny Schecter watched the albino crabs scuttle in the surf and let the stead, cool breeze of the sun push her hair back from her forehead. What did she want? What did she need? It was obvious to her from the moment she came back from her honeymoon with Tim. She knew the second she saw that gorgeous woman serving coffee, late afternoon, her face troubled. It was then that she knew. So why was she so fucking messed up? Why the cheap, impassioned relationships? Why the pain, the torture, the apathy? She was struggling. Marina ruined her. She showed her passion, sex, of course, and love. But then she tore all of that away and destroyed her. Is that why she did what she did? Jenny knew they'd both paid for their ignorance. She knew ultimately what she wanted. But she had insane trouble admitting it, or getting it.

Marina slid out of the the car seat, closing her Mustang door, and left the driveway, following the perimeter of the house down to the beach behind it. Her steely eyes scanned the horizon. She was sure of she wanted. She had thought about it nearly every second for two years. Misfortune and stupidity had set them back, but she knew.

Jenny shoved her small hands into her pockets and tried to brace herself against the chilling breeze.

"Do you like the beach?" a liquid voice said then, from behind her.

Jenny flipped around. "Marina?"

"Yes."

She stood very still, unable to believe at first that she was actually there. "Yes. The beach is beautiful."

The tall, Tahitian woman kept her distance. "It's amazing how just water can keep two women from communication for two years."

"What was I supposed to do Marina? Call you?"

"I don't know."

"What gives you the right to act so cool about this?"

Marina lifted her chin, doing her best to keep her shield up. "You hurt me too, Jenny. It wasn't just me."

"You were with Francesca. And I wanted you."

"I wanted you too, Jenny. I called you."

Jenny shook her head, exaperated. "I was trying to move on! You can't just...Just try to date my girlfriend to get at me and then fucking call and leave a fucking message like that on my answering machine!"

Marina said nothing. She couldn't think of reasons to condone her actions. So instead, she just stood on the beach and watched Jenny seethe. Then she stepped up to her and kissed her. After a few moments, she said, "Jenny, do you want to go back to my hotel room..and talk?"

XXX


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last part. :)

Femmedreams: An L Word Fanfiction

[Author's Note: Hopefully you've been following along with the plot, seeing as how this is part three of a three part fanfiction... If not. You're dumb.]

Part 3

On the other side of town, Shane got out of Bette's Saab just as Max tossed one final bag into his SUV.

"What's up, man?" Shane asked after patting Bette on the shoulder and thanking her for the ride.

Max shrugged. "It's time for me to move on. I just realized that I may own my voyage to L.A. to Jenny, but I've done everything else on my own. And I'm ready to claim that. You've been real cool Shane, man, but Jenny and I are through. I'm moving out. Getting my own place."

Shane blinked. "Does Jenny know? Is she here?"

Max shook his head. "She's not here. But she knows. She ended it."

"She's not here?" Shane returned. "Where is she?"

"Before I left the party I talked with that Marina chick. Her ex lover or whatever. I told her we were through and I left. My guess is that she's with her."

Shane chuckled, but only lightly. "Yeah, mine too."

XXX

Helena looked out her back wall of windows and wondered how much longer she could call that wonderful house hers. What would she do? Where would she go after she lost the house? And how about her children? When would she ever see them again? Everything was falling apart, she though. She decided to call Alice. But across down, Alice's phone rang unheard in the depths of her shed jean pocket, several feet away from a fancy, expensive up-class hotel bed.

Helena thought of who else she could call. Shane? But Shane's phone rang unheard, as well. Well unheard to Shane but not to Helena, herself. The British woman stood up and crossed to the futon, digging a cell out of the cushions. Shane's.

The younger Peabody woman crossed town happy to have a purpose. But when she knocked on the door of the house Shane shared with Jenny, Jenny's "boyfriend" and until recently, Shane's longtime girlfriend Carmen de la Pica Morales, there was no answer. Helena sighed. Tonight was not her night.

"She left about fifteen minutes ago," Bette said, from the next yard, drinking a mixed drink by the pool.

The other woman lifted her hand. "I have her phone."

"Leave it with me. I'll give it to her."

Helena crossed the yard, went through Bette's privacy fence and laid the phone on the glass table. "Thanks."

Bette smiled up at her politely. "Are you alright?"

"I think I'm just sort of stressed out."

"Would you like a drink?"

Helena smiled. "Yes. I'd love one, actually."

XXX

Jenny and Marina did not talk the entire ride to the hotel. The atmosphere in Marina's car was stifling. They reached the building and both women got out and went inside. Jenny crossed her arms once they were upstairs. Marina swiped her card in the card-lock. They stood in the room and Jenny reached her breaking point.

"Don't act like that," she said, overwhelmed, "Just stop it."

Marina regarded her with patience. "Don't act like what, Jenny?"

"This is fucking killing me and you're so damn..calm."

The taller woman frowned. "I've missed you."

Jenny looked up then, her eyes filling with tears. "God, why did you leave?"

"Did you want me to stay? After what happened?"

"I'm sorry Marina."

Marina's eyelashes brushed together slowly. "I know."

"Can I use your bathroom?"

"Are you alright?"

Jenny was shaking. "I just... I just need to be with myself for a minute."

"Of course."

Jenny hurried to the restroom and stood alone in the small room and leaned over the sink, looking at her small form in the mirror. She took a deep breath and noticed the shaking of her chin. She closed her eyes and made her decision. She pulled her shirt over her head ans unbuttoned her jeans.

Jenny came back out into the bedroom completely naked and stood in front of Marina, who sat on the edge of the bed, drinking a small a small glass of white wine. And she waited.

Marina leaned back and smiled.

"I don't know what else to do," Jenny said, "Because this keeps running through my mind."

Marina placed her glass of wine on the side table drawer. "Come here Jenny."

Jenny stepped up to her and straddled the tanner woman's waist. Marina ran her hands up and down Jenny's back and then she took her small face and pulled it to hers, and they kissed.

"What do you want to do Jenny?"

"What can we do?"

Marina looked at Jenny hanging above her, and brought her close. They kissed again and crept into passion.

XXX

The next morning everyone woke up with shocking realizations or hope. Shane stretched her jean jacketed arm over her head of unruly hair after a night of camping out on the de la Pica Morales' porch. She brought her arm back down to check her watch. It was 7:30 am. "Shit," she mouthed shaking her head. She rubbed her eyes and sat forward instantly, realizing what she had to do. She stood up and knocked on the door.

Carmen's mother answered, wiping her hands on the apron she wore. Her eyes widened and she shared a look with Shane, though not of hatred. "Shane."

Shane tried to stand up straighter, smoothed her hair, tried to look more presentable. "I'm sorry about what happened. What I did. Or...What I didn't do."

Mrs. de la Pica Morales nodded. "And why did you do, or not do what you did, or didn't do, Mija?"

Shane said, "Because I was scared. I want Carmen to have the world. And after a life of having nothing until her, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to give her it. Or anything at all."

Carmen's mother nodded again. "Do you love her?"

"Very, very much."

The woman pulled Shane through the doorway and hugged her. "I believe you love her, Mija. Carmen is very upset still. Very heartbroken. But I know she loves you too. Come, we will get you a dress and clean you up for breakfast. Carmen has been staying at her Tia Mercedes house, but she will come for breakfast. You two will talk. We will get you ready."

Shane was eager for the opportunity. She smiled, hopeful, nervous as Hell. "Okay."

XXX

When Alice woke up, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked at Verena who sat on the edge of the bed, eating a Poptart. She turned with Alice awoke.

"Last night was..."

Alice laughed. "A one time thing?"

"Yeah."

They both laughed together, relieved.

Verena said, "Do you think your friend Bette would go for a blond?"

"She's a little bitter towards blonds right now," Alice responded, glad Verena had noticed their lack of sparks as well.

Verena nodded. "Too bad. Didn't you say she was into art?"

"She was the director of the California Art's Center."

"That Bette Porter? My God. My husband, when he was alive, owned the NYC Art's Center that she borrowed collections from.."

"You two could hit it off after all."

Verena laughed. "Maybe we can double date with your friend Helena. She's all you talked about last night."

XXX

Bette got up to make coffee and found Helena waking up on the couch. "Did you sleep alright?"

Helena sat up stiff and hungover. "What happened last night?"

Bette yawned and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. "You drank several mixed drinks and admitted your love for some brunette in a blue car. Whoever that is."

Helena said, "Oh my God. Alice."

"Alice?"

"Yes."

"Ah."

"I'm in love with Alice."

Bette stood and stared at Helena and then the doorbell rang and she crossed the small kitchen. She opened the door to Tina and Angelica. Angelica instantly reached out for her other mother.

Tina gave her a compromising smile as she passed her child into her ex's arms. "Can we talk?"

XXX

Jenny awoke and rolled over to an empty mattress. She sat up and as the thin silk comforter slid down from her bare chest, she felt a growing fear and panic rising in her chest. The beginning of the morning sun peaked through the seaside hotel's windows. She rubbed her eyes, afraid. And then the bathroom door opened and cloaked in a gorgeous red robe with steam laying lightly around her, her hair wet ringlets around her shoulders, Marina stepped out of the room. She smiled at Jenny.

"Good morning," she enunciated smoothly as the golden rays of daylight framed her silhouette.

Relief spilled through the smaller woman immediately. She took a much needed breath. "Good morning."

Marina laughed, lightly, and walked up to the bed, crawling towards Jenny, her robe falling open, exposing her bare chest.

Jenny smiled up at her as Marina touched her cheek. The older, tanner woman brought Jenny's head to her chest and caressed her long dark hair. Seconds ticked by one by one, but there seemed to be no ending. Not like before. No termination to the affair. There was only continued, calm, bliss.

Then with a simple, steady tone, Marina Ferrer said, "I love you Jenny."

Hope filled them both completely.

XXX

End.


End file.
